Trivia (poem)
Encyclopedia
Trivia is a poem by John Gay
. The full title of the poem is Trivia, or The Art of Walking the Streets of London, and it takes its name from the "goddess of crossroads", Trivia.
The poem is loosely based on the Satires of Juvenal, and is a poem in heroic couplet
s, and though based on Juvenal, attains a Horatian
satirical
manner.
The length of the entire poem is approximately 1000 lines, and it is in three books.
in the 1710s. It is a topographical poem, taking the form of a walk through a day and night. It pretends to utmost seriousness in advising the reader on:
He also describes the characters of the city, including its ballad singers, chairmen, footmen, and toughs.
John Gay
John Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
. The full title of the poem is Trivia, or The Art of Walking the Streets of London, and it takes its name from the "goddess of crossroads", Trivia.
The poem is loosely based on the Satires of Juvenal, and is a poem in heroic couplet
Heroic couplet
A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry; it refers to poems constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines. The rhyme is always masculine. Use of the heroic couplet was first pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in...
s, and though based on Juvenal, attains a Horatian
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
manner.
The length of the entire poem is approximately 1000 lines, and it is in three books.
Content
The poem describes the perils of walking in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1710s. It is a topographical poem, taking the form of a walk through a day and night. It pretends to utmost seriousness in advising the reader on:
- how to dress properly
- what sorts of boots to wear
- how to survive falling masonry
- chamber potChamber potA chamber pot is a bowl-shaped container with a handle, and often a lid, kept in the bedroom under a bed or in the cabinet of a nightstand and...
s being emptied out of windows - overflowing gutters
- pickpockets
- wig thieves
- mud splashes
He also describes the characters of the city, including its ballad singers, chairmen, footmen, and toughs.